According to Pocket Lint, the next-generation Xbox console will be called exactly that: Xbox. Citing an anonymous source, the website says that the much rumoured Xbox 720 moniker is out of the window, with a return to the original console’s branding. Confusing? Yes, probably. Just look at Wii U.
The site also says that the Xbox will be the hub for multiple other “X” branded bits of hardware, including a gaming tablet called X-Surface. This tablet won’t have any apps of its own, it’ll just connect to the Xbox and play games. “It will not have a desktop as part of its operating system,” says the site, “rather be entirely focused on playing full console-quality games.”
That sounds lovely.
Pocket Lint also points out that there’s an internally running version of Watch Dogs at “55-60fps” on the Xbox, it’ll have AMD components and an 8-core 1.9GHz CPU.
What’s also emerged since, though, is that multiple sites were apparently sent all this information by the same tipster. We can’t verify that, because we weren’t sent anything, but if this is true then it suddenly puts all of the above in a slightly different light and makes believing Pocket Lint’s anonymous source a little trickier to stomach.
Nonsense? We’ll see soon enough.
Update: yep, nonsense. Amazing.
Tuffcub
News just in! Sony have decided that their next console will be under the electronics brand “Sony”
cc_star
Good idea to drop numbering.
Leaves the door open to more frequent updates to the hardware & a release cycle approaching Apple’s with similar approach to game compatibility too as things go more digital.
The same tipster posting it around multiple sites makes it pretty unbelievable though.
jimmy-google
If they go down the frequent hardware updates there’s no way I’d buy one. The greatest thing about consoles is that you don’t have to replace the hardware regularly. If you replace the hardware regularly isn’t it essentially a PC?
They’d have to keep the price down as well. Yes there are some happy to spent £400 every year on a new iPad but considering the Vita was seen as too expensive at £200 it sounds like a bad route to go down.
cc_star
Well you don’t have to replace them… iPad2 still going strong despite New iPad and then iPad. (3 & 4). Games are still designed for iPad 2 and have enhancements for the 3 & 4.
Also, replacing PC hardware regularly is a massively overstated ‘problem’.
Games are generally designed for what the bulk of people own, does everyone own a bleeding edge machine that costs thousands, or does everyone own something broadly in line with the price of a new console launch & keep it for a few years.
cc_star
Dammit.
The buy once, sit on it for 5 to 7 years business model is broken.
Microsoft lost $3bn on gaming this gen and Sony lost $5bn.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmSmlk-Wo4uhdEhXMy1GcmFERGQ2TGtkdll2OVBXNGc#gid=0
Meanwhile other business models make billions.
Businesses will go where the money is & the model seemingly most TSA readers prefer could be a minority, niche model and by the time these consoles launch, most of their target target demographic could be doing other things for kicks, much like Sony has found with the Vita.
djhsecondnature
More frequent hardware revisions is a terrible idea.
Starman
I wish they’d just announce the bloody things so all this speculation would stop! Its not gonna help sales if nobody knows about it until 2 weeks before release is it?!!
Taylor Made
Xbox 360 didn’t make sense anyway. But maybe they calling it Xbox to forget that big box they first released.
Metal gear demo is live on ps by the way
KeRaSh
Dropping the number certainly confused people when Apple did it with the iPad, howerver I don’t think it would be that confusing with consoles since the release cycles are much further apart from eachother.
jimmy-google
Apple have only dropped it so less people spot how many they’re releasing and too many devices with numbers becomes a bit confusing especially when the iPad mini would be a different number to the main iPad and then the iPhone and iOS is another numbers too.
When the iPad becomes the iPad 10, 11 etc… it all sounds a bit stupid. as well
They only used 360 because Xbox 2 doesn’t sound as new/impressive against PlayStation 3. I’m not sure they thought ahead as to how they’d name something after the 360.
KeRaSh
I know what their intentions were but since the refresh cycles were so close together, their strategy backfired and people got really confused. Many people still held on to their original iPad (iPad 1), then you had the new iPad (iPad 3) and then the iPad shortly after (iPad 3.5 or 4, whatever you want to call it).
bunimomike
Actually, I think Apple were being pretentious as well. The entire country is used to sequential version releases for hardware and how numbers work. From engine sizes to series of vehicles to software (Corel Draw is now on 16 but is called X6).
Not just that but the entire country (and most of the world) is also used to spiritual successors to vehicles too. The Focus replaced the Escort at a certain Class size. Really, we would’ve been fine.
Still, it’s one of those things that won’t really affect sales so they knew what they were doing.
bunimomike
“Anonymous Tipster”. Really? REALLY?
Right, TSA, let’s make some shit up. You report on anonymous sources and they can’t all be correct when we finally know about the hardware so why not start some rumours right here and now.
• The next Xbox will have a 90% chance of working for the duration of its life
• The next Xbox will have good quality, exclusive games for the more hardcore gamer for the duration of its life
• The next Xbox will be made from materials that doesn’t look like cheap tat that you buy in a pharmacy when you couldn’t care less about your nephew but you still have to go to his birthday party and you need to turn up with a present for the little shit.
• The next Xbox will not feature a Blu-ray drive as Microsoft (along with every other company) appears to act like a total and utter child whilst arms are folded in defiance and the packaging will clearly state “We don’t use smell Sony technology”.
• The next Xbox will be very loud. However, there’s a 10% chance it’ll be silent.
• The next Xbox will have graphically inferior games that look ropey for the first few years until the devs get to grips with the new Etch-a-Sketch hardware and start to really wring out the power and finally chamfer those square-boob corners.
Yours anonymously,
Arse Magic.
Bilbo_bobbins
My Dads mates daughters boyfriends works for Xbox and said it will definitely have Xbox in its name too. Plus 5 machines will have a golden nugget in each, and those who find them, will be given a tour of the factory in which the Xbox is made.
bunimomike
Run home, Bilbo. Run home as fast as you can!
Bilbo_bobbins
my alltime fav film that is. Charlie….its ours ! Feck off Grandad you lazy arse, I’m taking me bird innit, now get back in bed.
double-o-dave
Jumping Crocodiles, Bilbo! You’ve got a lot
to do. Comb your hair, wash your face, cut your hairy feet & polish your shoes!
Moshbag
Not sure it would be a good idea, Nintendo must be kicking themselves that they didn’t call their new one the Puu.
Kennykazey
X-Surface? That’s almost as bad as Wii U.
jimmy-google
I’d prefer something like the Xbox Omega; sounds like some of dooms day device
Bilbo_bobbins
sigh!